We congratulate both Atty. Isabelo Sales Jr. and Atty. Aster Apalisok-Piollo for putting up a very exciting electoral contest in yesterday's chapter elections for the new president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) - Bohol chapter.

There were a lot of speculations that the presidential race would be lopsided considering that Sales had long declared his intention to vie for the IBP top post, being its incumbent vice-president. But, apparently, Piollo was able to generate support for her last-minute candidacy. Last-minute because she only made known her candidacy early last week.

However, the hour-long canvassing of votes at the plush Bohol Tropics, this city, turned out to be one of the most exciting presidential battles in the history of IBP-Bohol.

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While the election for the other IBP elective posts were lopsided, like the vice-presidential race between Atty. Jorge Cabalit and retired Judge Gervasio Lopena, the one-on-one contest between Sales and Piollo proved to be an epic battle with Piollo pulling an early lead in the first 20 votes.

Then came the next 30 votes, which saw a seesaw race between the two protagonists. Both Sales and Piollo were stuck to their seats while the canvassing was going on.

With 92 IBP members able to vote, we calculated that the first one to amass 45 votes would win the race.

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Truly, when Sales pulled the 45th vote, Piollo got stuck with her 39 votes. Sales piled four more votes to wind up with 49 as against Piollo's 39. Two to three voters did not vote for either Sales or Piollo.

Out of the more than 200 IBP members who were qualified to vote, only less than a half showed up.

Cabalit won by landslide against Lopena while Atty. Mitchell John Boiser ran uncontested as secretary. Atty. Cirilo Viodor was likewise re-elected as treasurer. The other newly-elected IBP Bohol officers are published elsewhere in this issue.

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Outgoing IBP Pres. Salvador Diputado said he plans to hold the induction of the newly-elected officers with the honoring of new judges in Bohol as well as the new Boholano lawyers who hurdle the 2006 bar examinations.

Reports said the bar examination results will be released by the Supreme Court on March 22.

To all the newly-elected IBP-Bohol officers, led by President-elect Jun Sales, and our new MTC judges in the province, our warm felicitations!

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